Hi, we got rid of cage for Sam after we came back holiday a few weeks ago and realised he was as happy on floor on blanket than crate and as he's pretty reliable on the toilet front ( apart from incident at my mothers yesterday!) tried it out and he's been great, plus he sleeps longer as he can get up and stretch legs a bit before going back to sleep. Well done Roker!

He seems to have figured our plan out and beat us to the punch! We had planned on nurturing him out of the crate when we move house as we thought a new regime in a new house would be much easier. Anyhows...we shall see what happens tonight as yesterday came on the back of being away all weekend and my other half was still off yesterday so he spent all afternoon outside in the garden in the sun. Today is the first day he is back in the normal routine with us both back at work.

He's 7 months old today and has become a completely different dog after our weekend in Scarborough. He really used to struggle to settle and since we got back he is now more than happy to flake out and be calm very much like both of his parents were. We also took him out with the brother in law and his Bichon yesterday and before they would wind each other up but yesterday they walked fine together and when we went to the pub after he just laid on the floor without a care in the world.

We havent had another night out of the cage since that first one because now he keeps wandering off and putting himself in the crate to go to sleep as i think he prefers it in there. I have put one of his big comfy beds back in there that he used to chew but hasnt touched since i popped it back in.

My wife who wasnt the biggest dog person about 8 months ago has now turned completely and whilst we were away mentioned the possibility of a second dog once we've moved house to the new place we've bought which is bigger and has a bigger garden.

My wife who wasnt the biggest dog person about 8 months ago has now turned completely and whilst we were away mentioned the possibility of a second dog once we've moved house to the new place we've bought which is bigger and has a bigger garden. [/quote]

Thats always the way it goes. I had a friend that never liked dogs she was a total cat person. Then when my youngest daughter was born she moved in with us to look after her while we were at work. At that time we had just got a border colliex american collie puppy. She fell head over heals in love with that dog she would walk him everyday and brush him he was about 25kg so not small he looked like a black and white lassie dog.she lived with us untill my youngest daughter turned 12. She was very sad to move away from her beloved Collie but we loved him as well. She visited often and about 2 years ago He passed away from old age my youngest daughter will be 19yrs old in september. Time flys my friend also passed away about a year after Destiny (collie) she was only 57yrs old. Sometime I wonder if she passed due to Destiny passing she talked about him all the time. She stopped going for her long walks and seemed to go down hill health wise after he passed. That goes to show you that even someone that hated dogs can fall in love with them.

Happy birthday, Roker- you've just reminded me that I used to go to Durham each year for my hols as a child- I 'm sure I've been to the beach at Roker- didn't it have ' Seaburn & ' as a prefix?? And did it have a funfair?? I seem to remember a Big Dipper ??

Well it was a year to the day since we picked him up yesterday....amazing how much he has developed in this time and what a great personality he is. Been tough at times especially trying to house train in December, spent a lot of time in the back yard in the rain and cold, but all very rewarding and worth it.

He's been spoilt rotten for xmas by my wife starting with his advent calendar then he gets to spend the new year running around the beaches of Nth Yorkshire..cant wait for a couple of weeks off to get him out and about!